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(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

F. T. DODGE. COMBINED ADJUSTABLE GHAIR; INVALID BED BEST, AND STRBTGHERI No. 327,?75. Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

. I WITNESSES: INVENTOR: Wg ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

F. T. DODGE. GOMBINED ADJUSTABLE CHAIR, INVALID BED BEST, AND STRETGHER.

Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

R HWENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

ihvtrE YATES ATENT Orrics.

FREDERICK T. DODGE, OF OARLETON, NE\V BRUNSXVIOK, CANADA.

COMBINED ADJUSTABLE CHAIR, INVALID-BED REST, AND STRETCHER.

BPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,775, dated October 6, 1885.

Application filed July 8, 1884. Serial No. 137,121.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK T. DODGE, of Carleton, St. John, Province of New Bruns wick, and Dominion of Canada, haveinvented a new and Improved Combined Adjustable Ohair, Invalid -Bed Rest, and Stretcher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved adjustable chair,which can also be used as an invalid-bed rest, or as a stretcher for carrying invalids.

The invention consists in a chair having a backrest hinged to the rear end of the seatframe, and a leg-rest hinged to the front end of the seat-frame, which seatframe can be held at different elevations on the support by passing pins or studs on the front ends of the sides of the seat into notches formed in plates secured on the inner surface of the support.

The invention further consists in the combination, with the hinged back-rest, of a transverse shaft held removably on the rear of the same, provided at its ends with pinions which engage with racks on curved bars on the inner surfaces of the arm-rests, which shaft can be locked in place, so as not to revolve, by suitable pieces 011 the rear surface of the backrest.

The invention also consists in various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully set forth hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,- in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved combined adjustable chair, invalid-bed rest, and stretcher, showing the leg-rest swung out. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same, showing the leg-rest folded under the seat. Fig. 31s a longitudinal elevation. of the seat, leg-rest, and back-rest adjusted for use as a stretcher. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail rear view of part of the back-rest and the devices for looking it in place, parts being shown in section. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same 011 the line a: m, Fig. 4, parts being broken out and others shown in section. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the device for locking the back-rest on the seat.

(No model.)

The lower ends of the back-rest side bars A are hinged by hinge-clips A to the rear ends of the seat side barsB to the front ends of which the legrestside bars Gare hinged at the bottom edge, thus adapting the back-rest to be folded on the top of the seat and the leg-rest to be folded under the seat. Two side frames, D, provided with arm-rests E are united by rungs D. On theimiersurface of the rear part ofeach arm-rest E a curved longitudinally-slotted plate or bar, G, is secured, onthe bottom edge of the slot, in which plate or bar G teeth forming a rack, F, are arranged. On the outer surface of each side bar A a semicircular or like down wardly-projecting hook, a, is secured, which projects from the rear edge of the side bar, and on the inner side of the hooks (6 an additional hook, I), is pivoted. A transverse shaft, H, is placed against the hooks a, and is held on the same by swinging the hooks I) over the said shaft, the ends of the shaft or bar projecting beyond the side bars A of the back-rest, and on each end of the shaft H a pinion, I1, is mounted, which pinions are contained within the slotted bars or plates G and engage with the teeth of the racks F. On the shaft H a ratchet-wheel, I, is mounted, and in a corresponding position a flat spring, J, is secured at one end on the rear surface of the backrest, which spring is provided on its outer surface with a tooth, (2, adapted to be passed between two teeth of the cog-wheel or ratchet-wheel I. A recess, J, is formedin the back of the back-rest, into which the spring J can be pressed. On the rear edge of each side bar A of the backrest a headed stud, K, is secured a short distance from the lower end, and from the rear end of each seat side bar B a spring-strip, L, projects, which is secured on the rear end of the said seat side bar, the free ends of the said springstrips L being connected by a springbar, L. In each spring L a short longitudinal slot, Z. is formed,of sufficient size to receive the head of the corresponding stud, K. A headed stud, N, projects from the outer side of each seat side bar B, near the front end, which headed studs are to be passed into notches m or m, formed at different elevations in plates M, secured on the inner surfaces of the front parts of the arm-rests E, whereby the front parts of the seat nest side bars can be held at different V in Fig. 7 3.

elevations. seat side bars B a U-shaped rod or brace, O, is hung, and on the under edge of each legrest side bar 0 a hook, P, is fastened,near the upper ends, the hooks projectiong toward the front or lower ends of the side rest-bars, and the distance between the pivots of the rod 0 and the hooks P being about equal to the length of the shanks of the U-shaped bar 0. On the front or lower ends of the leg rest side bars a U-shaped supporting rod or leg, Q, is pivoted, and afoot-rest frame or bar, R, is held adjustable on racks R in the leg-rest side bars, near the front or lower ends, or the footrest R can be held adjustably on the leg-rest side bars 0 in any other suitable manner.

The chair is adjusted in the following manner: By pressing the upper free end of the spring J inward, the tooth d on the said spring is disengaged from the cog-wheel I, and if the back-rest is swung up or down the shaft H can revolve and the pinions run up Or down on the racks in the curved and slotted bars G. If the spring J is released, it presses its tooth d in between the teeth of the cogwheel I, thus locking the shaft H and preventing it from revolving, thereby causing the pinions H to lock the back-restin place. The back-rest can thus be adjusted at any desired inclination and held in place. When the back-rest is swung down as far as possible,the heads of the studs K come in contact with the upper surfaces of the springs L, press the same downward and snap into the notches or apertures Z in said springs, thus locking the backrest and the seat together in the position shown The chair is thus adjusted as a bed.

lfthe chair is to be used as a stretcher or litter,the U shaped rod 0 is swung up against the under side of the leg-rest sidebars O, and then if the free ends of the leg-rest side bars are pulled upward the hooks Pwill be pressed against the cross-piece of the U shaped rod 0, and will thus lock the two sections together, the sections remaining locked as long as the stretcher or litter is thus supported by means of the bars O-that is, as long as there is sufficient strain on the rod 0 to prevent it from dropping out of the hooks P. The foot-rest It is to be used as a handle when the stretcher is to be carried. To remove the stretcher thus formed from the. supports D, the hooks b are swung up against the rear edges of the backrest side bars A, thus permitting of lifting the stretcher formed in the manner described off of the supports. If the stretcher is again to be converted into a chair-that is, if the back is to be raised at an inclination to the seat the headed studs K must be disengaged from the spring L. To accomplish this the seat and back-rest are raised at their joint, whereby the headed studs K will be moved toward the front of the seat a very short distance, but sufficiently to disengage them from the edges of the openings Z in the springs L, and if then the springs L are pulled downward by means From the bottom edges of the of the cross bar L uniting them the said springs will be disengaged from the headed studs and the back-rest can be inclined to the seat.

When the leg-rest is not to be used, it can be folded under the seat, as shown in Fig. 2. As stated,the front of the seat can be adjusted higher or lower by passing the headed studs N into the notch m or m of the plate M.

The advantages of this chair are that the patient resting on the same can easily adjust it at any desired inclination. It can be converted into a bed very easily, and into a stretcher for carrying the person on it to a bed, or to any other desired place, \vithout'requiring the person to be moved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the combination,with the supports D, having arm-rests, of a seatframe removably secured to the said supports at the forward end, a leg-rest pivoted to the front of the seat-frame, a back-rest pivoted to the rear end of the seat-frame independently of the supports, rack-bars secured on the armrests, a shaft journaled in the back-rest and provided on its ends with pinions for engaging with the rack-bars on the arm-rests, and of a spring-catch secured on the back-rest for the purpose of locking the said shaft and preventing it from revolving, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the co1nbination,with supports D, having arm-rests, ofthe seatfra-me removably secured to the said supports at its forward end, a leg-rest pivoted to the front of said frame, the back-rest hinged to the rear end of the seat-frame independent of the supports, the rack-bars G on the sides of the arm-rests, the shaft H, held removably on the back of the back-rest and provided on its ends with pinions engaging with the racks in the bars G, and ofaspring-catch for locking the shaft in place, substantially as herein shown and described. 7 V

3. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the combination, with supports D, having arm-rests, of the seatframe removably secured to the said supports at its forward end, a leg-rest pivoted to the front of the seat-frame, a back-rest hinged to the rear end of the seat-frame independent of the supports, the rack-bars G on the sides of the arm-rests, the removable shaft H, journaled in the back-rest, the pinions H on the ends of the shaft, the cog-wheel I on the shaft, and the spring J, secured on the rear side of the back-rest and provided with a tooth, d, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the combination, with supports D, having arm-rests, of the seatframe removably secured to the said supports at its forward end, the leg-rest pivoted to the front of the seat-frame, the back-rest hinged to the rear end of the seat-frame independent of the supports, the rack-bars G on the sides of the arm-rests, the shaft H, having pinions H on its ends, the hooks e on the side bars of the back-rest, and the pivoted hooks Z) on the side bars of the back-rest, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the combination, with the supports D, having arm-rests, aseat-frame, a back-rest hinged to the same, and means for securing the seatframe and back-rest to the said supports, of spring locking-bars secured on the inner or rear ends of the side bars of the seat-frame, and of studs secured on the side bars of the back-rest and adapted to catch on the abovementioned springs, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the combination, with the supports D, having arm-rests, a seat-frame, a back-rest hinged to the same, and means for securing the seat-frame and back-rest to the said supports, of the springbars L, secured to the bottom edges of the seat side bars at the rear ends, which springs have apertures Z, the headed studs K, projecting from the rear edges of the back-rest side bars at the lower ends, and of the bar L, uniting the free ends of the spring-bars L, substantially as herein shown and described.

7. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the combination, with the supports D, having arm-rests, the seati'rame having a hinged back-rest, and means for securing the said seat-frame and backrest to the supports, of the leg-rest having hooks P, and of the U-shaped bar 0, pivoted to the under side ofthe seat-frame, near the front end, substantially as herein shown and described.

8. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the combination, with the supports D, having arm'rests, the seatframe having a hinged backrest, and means for securing the said' seat-frame and back-rest to the said supports, of the leg-rest having hooks 1 the U-shaped bar 0, hinged to the under side of the seat-frame, near the front end, the U-shaped rod Q, hinged to the legrest, a nd of the foot-rest It on the leg-rest,substantially as herein shown and described.

9. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the combination, with the supports D and the back rest A, of the seat-frame having its rear end hinged to the back-rest, and provided with studs N, projecting from the sides of the frame at the front ends, and of the plates M, provided with notches m and m", at different elevations above the bottom of the support, substantially as herein shown and described.

10. In a combined adjustable chair, invalidbed rest, and stretcher, the combination, with supports having arm-rests, of a removable seat-frame having a leg-rest hinged on its front end and a backrest on its rear end, and provided with automatic spring-catches for locking the back-rest on the seat when the backrest is swung down, and with a bar and catch for locking the lcg rest and seat-frame together, substantially as herein shown and described.

FREDERICK T. DODGE. V/itnesses:

J AMES A. BELYEA, ROBERT MoRnIsoN, J r. 

